In the distance, the earth trembled beneath the mighty clash of two colossal beasts.
They were titans, born of primal forces, their roars shaking the heavens. Their enormous bodies were covered in scales that gleamed like polished stone.
Their mere presence cast a wide shadow on the earth as their wings unfurled to take flight, blocking out the sky.
The two behemoths engaged in a destructive confrontation, each clash sending shockwaves across the mystical lands of Gaia.
Such a phenomenon wasn't news in this world. Humans had adapted to living in a realm clouded with mysteries and dangers, where titans roamed the lands and beasts preyed on the weak.
The two titanic beasts clashed once more. The force generated began to split the land as lava erupted from the earth, shaking ancient trees and splintering rocks below.
One of the beasts twisted around the other. Seizing an advantage, it opened its mouth, revealing sharp, mountainous teeth, which sank into the back of the other titan. With no time to wait for death, the other titan used its enormous, bone-crushing claws to detach one of the beast's limbs. The battle raged on, shaking the heavens themselves.
As the beasts fought, someone watched the spectacle with hyper-vision from hundreds of miles away, at the entrance of a dark cave that loomed high in the clouds, surrounded by mist.
There stood a boy, shirtless with a muscular physique, adorned in golden ornaments from his hands to his neck and ears.
His stance was steady, his gaze fixed on the unfolding spectacle. Though small compared to the monstrous battle, there was a palpable sense of power around him.
He was not alone; a woman radiating ethereal beauty stood beside him.
She was taller than the boy, with sharp, captivating features, delicate and feminine, like a figure carved from marble. In her hand, she held a golden staff, its surface glinting in the light from the distant battle.
She turned to look at him, asking if he was ready. The boy nodded.
She tapped her staff twice, and a spear materialized in the boy's hand. She gave the order for him to throw.
He wasn't allowed to miss his target, or the training would restart the next day.
The boy, his expression cold, said nothing. He simply raised the spear, using his supernatural vision. He hurled it in the direction of the titanic beasts.
The impact of the throw sent shockwaves as the spear traveled at an unnatural speed, surpassing the sound barrier for a moment. In an instant, the spear sliced through the titans as if they were mere paper.
As the colossal bodies of the beasts fell like meteors, the boy turned and faced the cave entrance. He began walking, the sound of his footsteps echoing as he neared the cave. The memories of who he was began to reveal themselves.
"My name is Kyros."
He spoke in a low, emotionless voice.
"A twenty-year-old boy from Athens. Well, that was long ago, before a major event wiped out my family—the only ones who ever cared for me. The me I was five years ago."
He glanced back, his piercing crimson eyes glinting in the red clouds before continuing.
"Now all I seek is vengeance. I will bring chaos and start the great apocalypse to tear down the Olympians for the pain they caused me.
Their betrayal, the family they took from me, and the very world that looked down on me just because I had no power before. I'll make sure they see what I become, what they made me into."
Kyros continued into the cave, his back reflecting the events of five years ago.
-Five Years Ago-
A world filled with endless possibilities and dangers spanned across Gaia.
Titanic creatures roamed the vast lands, and vile monstrous beasts occupied every corner of the world, preying on the weak.
Humans and other mortal races found themselves in such a world. Gaia, the mother who cared deeply for them, bestowed power upon humans and other races, granting them the means to protect themselves.
These beings are known as Ascendants, mortals who were able to draw power from the twelve emotional spectrum as energy from the twelve Olympus, distinguishing them from normal mortals.
But not everyone was lucky enough to be born with such a blessing. Those who received no gifts became targets of society.
Kyros was one such person. Born to parents who were blessed and protected by the goddess Athena, Kyros found himself unable to wield any powers.
As a result, he faced a lifetime of criticism, devoid of friends or companions, with only one thing left to hold onto—his family.
A normal family devoted to serving the gods, who accepted Kyros with warmth and love, regardless of whether he was an Ascendant.
They only wanted a normal life, but in the blink of an eye, the very gods they served brought torment and disaster. Sparta, aided by the god of war, ravaged the Athenian Kingdom.
In an instant, the Spartans began massacring everyone in their path. The citizens of Athens cried out for assistance from their beloved goddess.
But after hours of lifeless bodies falling one after another, their cries went unanswered. It was as if the very gods they worshiped had turned a blind eye to their massacre.
Kyros, the only survivor, managed to escape with his father, the high priest of Athens, who used a special teleportation rune to save him.
Three days passed, and news of Sparta's conquest spread across the world. The remaining survivors of Athens became slaves, their women reduced to pleasure objects for the Spartans, yet still no sign of their goddess to offer hope.
The news of how the high priest and his family were tortured before death spread worldwide.
It couldn't get any worse when the very temple where the citizens of Athens had called for their goddess became the site of the high priest's torture. Even that failed to provoke any action from Athena.
Now, the people were convinced: Goddess Athena had forsaken them. The gods' cruelty led to the end of many mortals, but no one knew that this incident would change the fate of one man.
This event would give birth to a creature who would one day become the chaos of all existence. Kyros, transported to an unknown land, found himself on the Skull Island.
A massive roar echoed through the air, sending small beasts like the chicken-ox—a dog-sized creature resembling a chicken with horns—fleeing in fear.
A single beast leaped to the ground, exposing a human hand buried in the sand. Signs of life appeared as the hand moved.
Suddenly, a face emerged from the sand, struggling to breathe. The boy, Kyros, opened his eyes and glimpsed his surroundings through brilliant light brown pupils. His long, thick black dreadlocks were caked in mud.
After three days of being transported from Athens, Kyros was the one who eventually regained consciousness.
Kyros grabbed his head in agony, disoriented, and struggled to collect his thoughts.
"My head hurts... Aaaa. Where am I?"
As he began to stabilize, memories of the massacre, his family, and his people flooded back. He recalled being struck by a spear in the chest by a Spartan warrior, which had knocked him unconscious.
Tears began to fall.
"Father... Mother... Brother..."
Finally, Kyros rose from the mud, standing despite the vertigo that clouded his vision.
Beside him, he found a necklace with an energy crystal and a cyber scroll.
"A cyber scroll with a message...? And that's father's temple seal?"
As he touched the scroll, it recognized his fingerprint, confirming his lineage as a high priest, and opened with a blue glow. A speaker appeared, with play, pause, and mute buttons below it.
Without hesitation, Kyros pressed play, and a recorded message began.
"Kyros, my son. If you're hearing this, then praise be to the goddess—you're alive. A few days ago, I had a vision that I never thought would lead to such catastrophe.
A vision of you, my boy. In that vision, you would lead a second war against the Olympians—the Second Titanomachy. The Titans would bring down Olympus and free them..."
Kyros paused, shocked. He didn't understand. How could he, not even an Ascendant, dream of leading the Titans in battle against the Olympians?
But his father's prophecies had always come true, and despite his confusion, Kyros was certain of one thing.
He would fulfill that prophecy.
Enraged, every part of him yearned for vengeance on Athena and Ares, but first, he would finish listening to his father's message. After all, he didn't even know where he had been teleported.
"I chose to keep this vision a secret because I never thought it was possible. I figured it was just a bad dream, but that was cut short when Goddess Athena found out.
What I thought was a mere illusion became a serious matter before the Olympians. Day by day, their weariness grew, and the seed of fear was planted in their hearts.
Soon, the seed grew into a tree of caution, and the fruit it bore was fear. The Olympians feared the day when Mount Olympus would fall to the Titans. The worst fear of all would be the torment the Olympians would suffer if the Titans took over as the new gods.
To cut down this tree of fear, Zeus, the king of gods, ordered the destruction of Athens.
You must be wondering why they didn't come for you directly. They wanted to destroy anything connected to you. The gods betrayed our trust. I only wish you a quiet life from now on.
A life away from the gods. For your very presence will bring only doom. With utmost love, we wish you a life of happiness."
The message ended, and Kyros dropped the scroll, in shock. Rage consumed him, his body throbbing with an anger so intense that even his tragic life had never sparked such fury.
Despite all the hardships he had endured, nothing had triggered such an emotion until now.
But this time, it was different. He roared to the heavens.
"Olympian gods, are you so afraid of a mortal that you would go to such lengths?" Lowering his head with his fists clenched at his sides, he murmured.
"Now, you have created the very thing you feared. One by one, I will hunt you down. From this day forward, I will do whatever is in my power to fulfill that destiny."
"If you fear your reign ending so much, I'll make it quick for you... Zeus, I will avenge my family, no matter the cost."
In that moment, as the plant of fear withered in the hearts of the Olympians, a new seed was planted in Kyros' heart—the seed of vengeance.
It would drive him beyond his limits, ensuring that the cruel reign of the gods would come to an end.
But for now, all he needed to do was survive, to see that fateful day come to pass—the day he triumphed over the Olympians, the day he witnessed the fall of Olympus with his own eyes.
-TO BE CONTINUED-